Posts Tagged ‘mortgage’

By The AMA Team on Tuesday, August 26th, 2014 | Comments Off on FICO Score Changes: A Boost For Risky Borrowers?

Fair Isaac is changing his game. And that has some financial experts worried. The nation’s premier credit scoring agency, the Fair Isaac Company, has come to an agreement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to change the way credit scores are calculated. It’s a move that could boost lower end scores by 25 points or […]

In the wake of the Federal Reserve’s new announcement that they’ll be keeping their massive securities buyup on track for now, things look rosier for global trading – and for consumer markets at home. But even as the Fed’s decision is being welcomed for its intended effects of boosting home sales, some fear that new […]

By The AMA Team on Friday, August 23rd, 2013 | Comments Off on Social Media Tools: A Game Changer for Investors

Social media has forever changed how people do business. From the early days of personal blogs and Facebook accounts for chatting with family and friends, social media sites ranging from the obvious old standbys like Twitter and Facebook to more specialized professional services like LinkedIn have leveled the playing field for both business people and […]

By The AMA Team on Wednesday, August 21st, 2013 | Comments Off on Fannie and Freddie Tweak the Numbers For Profit’s Sake

In the nearly five years since the nations historic housing collapse, megalenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have gone from bankruptcy and government bailout to posting record profits. But as Washington policy makers ponder their future, a new report from the two agencies’ overseers claims that those profit numbers may be offset by Famine and […]

Even as housing prices are continuing to rise around the country, some houses are going up for sale for unimaginably low prices – $1,000, $500 and even a dollar. But even those stunt prices don’t alter the fact that paying cash for a quick buy on a cheap property may end up yielding less than […]

By many indications, the hosing recovery is still on the upswing. Mortgage rates remain on the low side and homes are available in most markets. So why aren’t first time buyers taking the plunge into homeownership? The answer, according to a new report from RE Insider, is complex, with broader implications for the rebound of […]

Doing business online – even sensitive financial operations – is quick and easy, though far from safe. Cyber crime costs about $100 billion worldwide each year, and ven the most internet-savvy investor can become a victim of internet scammers and hackers. But a few simple strategies can help keep financial information safe. Use a Single […]

By The AMA Team on Friday, June 21st, 2013 | Comments Off on For Some Landlords, Vacant is the New Rented

As consumer advocates push for expanded tenant’s rights laws, landlords are wondering where their protections have gone. As a recent op-ed column in The New York Times reveals, the landlord presiding over an entirely legal eviction can end up vulnerable to a host of potentially dangerous outcomes from disgruntled tenants. And for some property owners, […]

Interest rates are still low, the housing market is rebounding, and employment stats are better – so why are loan approval rates down and fewer applications being processed? Financial experts point to a combination of factors stemming from the freewheeling days of the pre-crash housing market and the lawsuits and legislation that followed. As more […]

According to the arcane rules of credit scoring, being in debt makes you a better candidate for more debt and paying off your debt hurts your borrowing power. Now another irony of the credit system undermines the efforts of applicants to qualify for mortgages and other types of loans – the simply act of applying […]

For many mortgage seekers the tried and true route to a loan is through a bank or perhaps a credit union. But faced with an often bewildering array of loan products and interest rates – as well as the potential for being turned down by one or more lenders – potential homebuyers are increasingly turning […]

Will the Bank of America never learn? After a multibillion dollar settlement in the robosigning bank fraud scandal and ongoing court battles related to charges of skewing numbers reported to LIBOR, the bank so many love to hate is in trouble again, facing accusations of bad faith that could jeopardize yet another settlement in yet […]

The housing market may be on the rebound after the great collapse of a few years ago, but the effects of that meltdown are still being felt. Large numbers of homeowners –and small investors – are still seeking relief through government sponsored mortgage assistance and refinancing programs. But because of the demand, the FHA’s mortgage […]

By The AMA Team on Thursday, April 25th, 2013 | Comments Off on When Good Debt Goes Bad: Gen Y’s Money Crunch

In a previous post, we took a look at why new and recent college graduates saddled with student loans are wary of taking on the traditional debts of adult life: car loans and mortgages. Now, new statistics on college graduation rates reveal that over half of those under 25 who finished college in 2011 with […]

By The AMA Team on Wednesday, April 17th, 2013 | Comments Off on Good Debt, Bad Debt: Mortgages Can Save Money

For generations, parents have drummed the principles of financial responsibility into the brains of irresponsible offspring: pay your bills on time, save all you can and above all, stay out of debt. While the first two certainly still apply, in today’s financial climate, that last one may not be as ironclad a marker of savvy […]

By The AMA Team on Wednesday, April 17th, 2013 | Comments Off on Do Changing Demographics Drive Home Sales?

In years past, homeownership was the bedrock of American stability and a clear marker of success – and maintaining home still represents those values. “Owning a home is the keystone of wealth, both financial affluence and emotional security,” says financial guru Suze Orman. But as America ages, suffers financial instability and becomes more diverse, the […]

By The AMA Team on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013 | Comments Off on Why is Fair Isaac in Charge of Your Credit Score?

p>A recent study conducted by the online dating site Match.com reported that along with asking a first date about jobs, interests and family, more and more relationship-seekers are also inquiring about their prospective partner’s credit scores. For many, the credit score – those magical numbers between 300 and 850 that signify a person’s ability to […]

Throughout history humans have learned to be wary of what lurks in the shadows, waiting to strike. The same principle may hold true as the housing market struggles to recover from the devastating subprime mortgage meltdown of a few years ago. Although statistics based on a variety of markers appear to point toward a slow […]

p>The eleventh hour came and went, and with the clock ticking toward the twelfth, some lawmakers blinked, others stood firm, and by New Year’s Day, enough progress was made to halt the country's headlong rush toward the fiscal cliff. When the dust settled, some sectors of the economy won, while others lost. For the housing […]

By The AMA Team on Monday, December 31st, 2012 | Comments Off on Federal Mortgage Help: A Risky Business?

The housing industry continues its slow climb upward after the subprime loan meltdown of 2008, supported by a number of government backed initiatives aimed at stimulating the market and, in turn, the economy as a whole. But the Feds efforts to hold down interest rates while keeping struggling homeowners out of foreclosure and reduce the […]